


Repeat After Me

by old_shizuumi151 (shizuumi151)



Category: Free!
Genre: Eventual Fluff, Eventual Smut, Gen, I'll add the characters and relationships when they appear :), M/M, Rating will change, Slow Build, Teacher!Rin, Teacher-Student Relationship, also, eyy, hit and run OCs, which is equivalent to
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-09
Updated: 2014-05-20
Packaged: 2018-01-24 03:32:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1590131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shizuumi151/pseuds/old_shizuumi151
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>February was tapering to an end, so the Brisbane weather was cooling into autumn. Rin opened the window to let air into the apartment that had been emptied into the maze of cardboard boxes on the floor. He sat back at his desk and checked off the few things left: a plane ticket to Tottori, layover at Tokyo, his phone loaded with a map to his new apartment, and the application form for Iwatobi Academy.</p><p>He rolled his shoulders and leaned in to scan each labelled field. It would take a week for it to get through to Japan, but Gou smoothed out the whole process, never leaving him in the dark for a second. He noted to thank her for the birthday present as he bit off his pen cap and set to work.</p><p><i>...Matsuoka Rin. 24. Position sought? Full-time English teacher. University of Queensland, 4 years, MA in ESP:TESOL. 2 years experience in private tutoring and assisting classes...</i> He lifted up his shoulders, checking over the last field. <i>Have I ever been convicted of a crime?</i> Redundant. He put a solid tick at 'No'. <i>Never have, never will.</i></p><p>With that done and dusted, he idly twirled his pen, wondering about the new students he'd get to teach at Iwatobi.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Matsuoka-sensei

**Author's Note:**

> This is going to be my first multi-chaptered AU I'm going to write, so I hope it pans out well ;u; Just ramping up my indulgence to a bigger scale, that's all this is XD
> 
> Some things to note:
> 
> _There are no archive warnings on this fic_. Though it is a student-teacher relationship, Haru is of age and there won't be any non-con in this (just some forbidden love and flirting with legality wups)
Some hit-and-run OCs (they're like one-time people I use to my whims in this), but the focus of this fic is always RinHaru
Iwatobi Academy is different to Iwatobi High School and Samezuka Academy; it's where I unified the aged up/down gang
Though I have done research on various little things about this fic, there may be details that are off. It's a really general note, but basically if you feel that anything's off about a setting/system, don't say I didn't warn you c:
_Don't expect regular updates in the slightest._ Though I _do_ have everything planned out, I know myself too well to give any of you false promises XD

> 
> However, with that being said, this fic is a prospect that's really exciting for me, so I do hope you enjoy reading it ^^ Thank you!

The ceiling fan thrummed in the living room, teasing shadows in the warm light shining on the low table. The place was spacious but the furniture sparse, only enough to be practical for the one student with her fringe falling over her eyes. Rin sat across from her, his voice smooth yet injected with focus. He didn't even stop to brush the bang falling loose over his nose as he described the highlighted word in the magazine.

“…so in this case,” Rin leaned over the table, tapping the magazine article with his pen. “The word eating is a gerund, where it doesn’t act as a verb more so as a noun. Is that clearer now, Inoue-san?”

He looked up to his tutee across the table, Inoue Suzu, seeming to be lost in thought, as if she would find understanding in Rin’s face. Though she had been spacing out a few times that night, Rin didn’t really mind. He knew English wasn’t a captivating subject, but he had faith since Suzu was typically diligent. He laughed amiably at her blank expression, waving the pen in front of her face.

“Inoue-san~” he chuckled when she jerked her head, her fringe almost swivelling. “Gotta focus, yeah?”

“I did understand, thank you,” Suzu stroked her hair over her shoulder, her brown locks flowing over her cardigan. “Sorry, Matsuoka-sensei…”

“It’s fine,” he smiled as he kneeled back, but pursed his lip at Suzu facing the ground. He sighed, scratching the base of his ponytail as his gaze went to the side. His eyes found Rilakkuma toys of all sizes settled on green shelves, with picture frames littered between them. “You seem a bit nervous lately…” he noticed, and her head snapped up at his light tone. ”Is it because university starts again in a week?”

“Ah…yes,” Suzu’s smile was weak, making Rin pout. “I think it’s just the prospect of going back so soon…”

“I get what you mean,” Rin crossed his arms, resting his elbows on the tabletop. “I gotta start my first real job in a week’s time too.”

“Oh?” Rin stopped tapping his pen to see Suzu putting her hands onto her lap, her brown eyes shining curiously. “What are you going to work as?”

“Ah, an English teacher,” he grinned, showing a hint of his sharp teeth as he sat up straighter, “I’ve had practice tutoring you and some others over the holidays to prepare for a, well, bigger audience.” he gestured to the magazine and Suzu, feeling glad when he heard her chuckle for the first time that evening.

“Well, you’re certainly the best English tutor I’ve ever had, if that helps.” A hint of her dimples were visible with her shy smile.

“It really does,” he nodded, bowing slightly, “Thank you.”

“It’s the truth,” she said sweetly, “Um, which…” she looked up in thought, rocking her head onto her shoulder. “Level of students are you going to teach?”

“High school students,” he twirled the pen between his fingers, adjusting the sleeve of his dress shirt at his elbow. “I’ll be working at Iwatobi Academy. It’s a good institution.”

“Oh, certainly!” Suzu eyes sparkled at the name, “It has fantastic results within the Iwatobi region, I hear.”

“Yep, and their results are gonna skyrocket even more when I join.”

Rin smiled cheekily as Suzu laughed again, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth. He looked down at the pen between his fingers again, and his eyes caught his watch.

“Oh, I have to go about now,” Rin clicked his tongue, and he didn’t see Suzu chew her lip behind her sleeve. “Shame that this is our last lesson,” he stood up, brushing off his jeans and tossing up his grey hoodie into the hook of his elbow, “But with all the work you’ve been putting in, I won’t be surprised if you blow your English teacher away.”

“If I do, it’ll only be because of your help.” she insisted while she stood herself up, fidgeting with her sleeve.

“Well,” Rin pocketed his hands, following Suzu to the door. “It’s only because you’re such a proficient student that you’re able to learn so well, so it’s not all just me. _Although_ ,” he teased, bending to pick his shoes from the porch. “I _am_ a pretty good teacher.”

“Of course…”

Rin shuffled his shoes on, looking back at Suzu’s trailing voice.

“Hey, look, you’ll be great,” Rin said with a genuine smile, “You shouldn’t worry yourself about going back.”

“Yes…well, actually,” Suzu clasped her hands together, putting them down and up as her mouth opened and closed, and the sight made Rin tilt his head. “I…it’s not really university I’m nervous about, Matsuoka-sensei—I mean,” she brushed her hair over her shoulder in a stammer, ”Matsuoka-san.”

“Oh?” Rin scratched his head, “Then what’s up?”

“I…I was wondering if…” she slowly brought her head up so she faced him, but her eyes were still glued to the floor. “You would…like to have dinner sometime…”

Rin brows crawled up his forehead, and a silent ‘oh’ escaped him. Suddenly, the glow of blush on her cheek and the gloss on her tense lips seemed much more noticeable.

“Uh…you mean…” his hand slowly went down from his hair, so it hovered at the side of his face, ”Like a…date—“

“I-I just thought,” Suzu nearly squeaked, her face going pinker by the second, “Since…it _is_ our last lesson and…otherwise I wouldn’t be able to see you as regularly, so—“

“No, no, I get why!” Rin shook his hands, not wanting to upset her. “Um…”

He furrowed his brows together, trying hard to avoid the word ‘but’. Everything that had puzzled him that night became clear to him: her makeup, her behaviour, and with a pinch of guilt he finally noticed how nice she looked in her flowing summer dress. His brain raced to find a proper wording for his thoughts, but all he could do was swallow in the face of Suzu’s toes shuffling beneath her socks and her eyes darting beneath her fringe.

This wasn’t a foreign circumstance for Matsuoka Rin: a pretty woman asking him out for a date. However, though he had to admit it had been a long time since he was active in the romance department, the sight of a young blush was a familiar one. Moreover, Suzu was definitely a lovely, endearing young woman that Rin could definitely say was one of the tutees he was more fond of. And yet, even with all of that, Rin hated himself for how long he stood there, gaping dumbly at her.

“It’s…” Suzu’s voice was meek, but her voice was like a taser through the silence, “It’s okay if you don’t want to…”

“N-No, that’s not…!” Rin stopped himself at Suzu nearly jumping at his voice. “Don’t get me wrong, Inoue-san,” he restarted, and he already winced at her eyes going downcast, “You’re great—I mean—you’re a fantastic, smart—“ he cycled his hands, helping his point roll along, “ _Beautiful_ young lady who anyone should have the privilege of dating! However, I—“

“Is it because…I’m your student?”

“Well, uh, _no_ ,” Rin managed, sucking air through his teeth, “You’re right, this _is_ our last lesson. However… I’m…the thing is, I…” he sighed in dejection, his hand finding his nape again. His brows squeezed together intermittently, earning a concerned look from Suzu.

“Is…something the matter?”

“ _No_ , no,” he reassured her, “It’s just…I…” he sighed harshly, feeling pathetic at his hesitation. He was a grown man, he didn’t need the theatrics. “…I’m gay.”

“… _Oh_.”

Rin’s focus was fixed on the shoe rack beside him, and his teeth were pointed against the skin of his own lip. Somehow, the tension within the hallway seemed to dissipate and multiply all at once as he looked back out of courtesy. He shouldn’t have paused again; it wasn’t any revelation, nor was it a lie. All the same, Rin couldn’t get rid of the unfairness of the situation, on Suzu, eating away at him.

“Sorry, I just—I didn’t think there would be a need to mention my… _preference_ ,” he even added the finger quotation marks while Suzu blinked at him. “So to speak. Uh…”

“Oh!” she brought up her hands, shaking them as if to catch the mistake she made, “No, it’s fine, it’s fine! I thought that you were—I mean—“

“No, it’s okay,” he insisted, “I didn’t make it clear, I should’ve—”

“No, no, I…!” her hands were flicking back and forth between her and Rin, “—I was unaware, and…it’s fine.”

“Uh, right…” he agreed, pinching his own earlobe as his mouth opened and closed, ”That’s good, then…”

“Yes…”

In the dying moment of hurried speech and fumbling, they looked at each other a few seconds. Then, something tipped the delicate scale, and the need to comport spilled away. They started to bubble with laughter, with Suzu’s muffled behind her sleeve and Rin’s facing the ground, at the entire situation. The knot of tension in air went loose with their sighs, and Rin’s shoulders sagged with relief. He watched Suzu recover from her giggling, and he bit on the inside of his cheek.

“…Hey, you’ll find someone great,” he said, “I know it.”

”Thank you,” she brushed her hair over her back, her dimples coming back in a soft smile, “…I’m sure you will as well.”

“Oh…heh,” Rin suppressed his blush while his hand comforted the back of his neck, “You think so?”

“I’m fairly certain, from what just happened.” she chuckled.

“…Oh,” Rin blinked before grinning bashfully, “Fair point, I guess…” he shrugged. Although the situation was over, Rin couldn’t help but feel apprehensive looking at Suzu’s twinkling face before interrupting himself with a cough. ”Well,” he stood his feet together, bowing to his former student. “Thank you for having me.”

“Of course,” she replied, bowing in kind. “Thank you so much for being a wonderful tutor.”

“Don’t sweat it,” he stood back up, waiting a moment as Suzu passed by to open the door “It’s my job, after all,” he headed out, turning back for a final wave. “Knock ‘em dead, Inoue-san!”

Rin raised a hand while ambling off, smiling once at the echo of her chortle. But the curve of his mouth tapered off to a thin line when he heard the latch shut, giving way to a familiar silence. He made his way past the pasty walls of the corridor to the elevator, tapping the button to call it up. He stared at the glowing red numbers above the lift changing at a snail’s pace, his mind blank as he blinked and breathed and the sound of the elevator creeping up grew louder. The doors slid open, and soon he was watching them clatter shut, staring at his own bored reflection. Without warning, his neck went slack and he hissed under his breath.

“… _Goddammit_ …”

Rin drew air into his nose, clawing the hair at his forehead as he blew out his frustation in a sigh.

_I always do that…_

He clenched his jaw, deciding to take out his phone and shove on his earphones. He turned on some blazing grunge that leaked out of his ears, if only to shut out the inevitable thoughts that would plague him on the train home.

It was a day in the life of Matsuoka Rin: wake up, exercise, eat, tutor, brood, sleep. Insert occasional toilet breaks. Maybe change up the order, if there’s a need to spice things up.

_Okay, no…that’s not it…_

Rin exhaled, indulging in his melancholy while swiping his Suica card at the turnstile. Just the usual.

To be fair, his life wasn’t so jaded as a rinse-and-repeat procedure. By all means, he loved his job; he loved teaching English. He worked hard in university to get his degree, and made sure to rack up his work experience in assisting classrooms and tutor sessions to add onto his impressive fluency in the convoluted language. He didn’t spend years of his high school and college life in Australia to complain about the job he sought for years. He fondly recalled the moment he rushed back into his dorm to punch the air and whoop like a child again, then punching the Matsuoka hotline on his phone and spluttering to Gou about his Master’s degree. It was like a dream, even though the line nearly dropped from Gou’s shrill joy.

Call him crazy, but he _liked_ how difficult English was: the stupidly contrived spelling, the irregular conjugations, the nuance of every synonym; the challenge of mastering it tempted him as much as it scared anyone else. He could rattle off all the common irregular verbs if someone so much as suggested it, and supplement it with their past participles to boot. And idioms? Child’s play. Submodifers, too? Please. If anyone were equipped to tackle one of the most difficult modern languages to grasp at native level, it would be Rin, no questions asked.

It made sense, too. He was bright: top 5 in all his high school classes and passed with honours. He was social: he could have his classmates slam their desks in hysterics with an anecdote, English _or_ Japanese. And, above all, he was passionate about it, and lord help anyone or anything trying to test a Matsuoka’s passion.

No, it wasn’t his work that made Rin slouch like a moody teenager on the seat of the packed carriage bustling along the tracks. At least he didn’t lower himself to staring out at the night sky and wonder about people’s lives going about in the glowing windows dotting the inky suburbs, or contemplate to his reflection when the train plunged into a tunnel, leaving the carriage in its artificial glow. Instead, he was gritting his teeth and twisting his face in an effort not to sulk while a tinny electric guitar pounded in his ears, which couldn’t have been much better.

Though if any healthy, young adult glanced his way, none of them would ever guess his problems were to do with romance. Or, rather, lack thereof.

He masked his bitter grimace as the crowd flooded out of the train carriage and onto the station; the clacking sounds of high heels, business shoes and sneakers mixed below the blanketing, lyrical ballad feeding into his ears. The fluorescent lights overhead soured his eyes as he filtered through the throng, long past needing to consult the overhead signs and navigation maps and managed to reach the escalator leading up to the street. His eyelids drooped with fatigue as he observed a woman tipping on the edge of an escalator step, leaning in to whisper in a man’s ear. It was nothing to label as PDA, but, to Rin, their blushes were as clear as the streetlights against the night sky, pinpointing the way to his apartment. He trudged onto the pavement, his steps lackadaisical as he separated from the crush of the train station. At the point where he was alone, and the buildings, roads and streets around him were painted a peaceful blue the night-time, he decided to ditch the angst-ridden front.

At that same point, when his hands were on his earphones, his phone jolted and a guitar riff rung out in the night. He frowned, tugging out his blaring phone before a soft expression broke out on his face. He adjusted his earphones, remembering to fake an annoyed pout when he answered it, holding out his phone so Gou’s caller ID could beam at him.

“What is it?” he answered tonelessly, stopping at a zebra crossing.

“That’s no way to greet the Head Supervisor of extra-curriculars _or_ your sister!” Gou huffed, and Rin couldn’t help but smile at her playful tone.

“I’m sorry, you’re right, Head Supervisor-san” he nodded gravely, looking for headlights on the horizon. “So how’s my baby sister doing for the _millionth time_?” he droned into the speaker.

“Okay, first of all,” Gou started as Rin’s eyes dragged across his sockets, “You’re only _half an hour older than me_ —“

“Thirty-two minutes and twenty-three seconds~" he sung, leisurely crossing the street and carrying on through the showers of street lamps.

“Half an hour, Rin. Get over yourself.”

“Ah, gotta hammer it home, though.”

“Whatever, _second_ ,” Gou persisted through Rin’s snigger, “This is the last call I’m gonna make before we see each other _next week_ ~!” Rin made a face, turning down his phone’s volume at Gou’s squealing.

“You’re quick to flip your switch,” he snorted, “I thought you were going to remind me of _another_ application form or something.”

“Oh don’t worry, I am—“

“Figures.” he clicked his tongue.

“—But I’m allowed to be a _bit_ excited, _right_? I’m finally gonna see you in _work mode_.”

“Work mode?” he scoffed, “What the heck’s that?”

“You know, _work mode_!” she repeated, like he knew what she was talking about. “Like, when your eyes go all _intense_ and _focus_ like you’re gonna cut your ‘relative clauses’ with your eyes and—“

“Okay, one,” Rin put a finger up, “I don’t do that—“

“—Yeah you do.”

“—No I don’t and _two_ ,” he continued, his apartment coming into sight, “I don’t even need _eyes_ to do something _basic_ like relative clauses—“

“It was an example,“ she said tartly, “I don’t want to get the phone dirty with your English nerd-speak.” Rin could hear her tongue poking out, making him frown in a way that was _completely_ mature.

“And _I_ don’t wanna listen to your organisational-freak-speak,” he retorted, pouting, “But we can’t _both_ get what we want, can we?”

…Ah crap.

“… _Tell me_ , Rin,” Gou’s voice turned into a cloying pitch that grated at his ears, “Just _who_ got you your first _ever_ job you’re _super_ excited about?”

“You did.” he chanted, shoulders slumping.

“And _who_ said that if _any_ additional information from said job came up I should tell them  A-S-A-P?”

“I did,” Rin wrinkled his nose at her awful pronunciation, but he caved. Though not without tossing his head back in an obnoxiously loud groan. “ _Fine_ , fine, I get your point. What is it?”

“Alright, _so_ ,” Rin heard the sound of a clap, and there was no doubt in his mind that Gou had him on speakerphone next to piles of forms and notices. “This last one is for you to sign up to lead an activity, since the academy requires a teacher to take responsibility for at least one extra-curricular. It’s also quite hands-on compared to other schools, so you won’t be just sitting on the sidelines supervising when you sign up for one.”

“Oh, sure,” he shrugged, “S’not a problem. What’s available?”

“Let’s see~” she hummed. Rin drummed his fingers on his pocket, fiddling with the fabric of his trousers while hearing her flick through papers. “There’s…Archery—”

“—I’d kill someone.”

“Agreed, next—” A page flicked. “Literary Club—”

“—You know I don’t like that.”

“—Ironic, considering you’re a language teacher…” she remarked, making Rin look at his phone grumpily.

“It’s _different_ —”

“ _Excuses_ ~” she proclaimed, continuing before Rin could object, “Lacrosse—”

“What is that even?” Rin scrunched his nose.

“Uh…think of football, but with nets on sticks instead of feet.”

“They do that with their _feet_?” he said, feigning surprise.

“ _No_ ,” her voice went so dull that Rin nearly guffawed, “They _hold_ them with their _hands_ , Rin.”

“What, their feet?” he smirked. “What a weird sport.”

“ _Wow_ , I can _smell_ your wit coming out of the phone, bro,” she responded flatly, and Rin could _hear_ her roll her eyes, “And last is…”

Rin waited for her to list it off, but there was only a pause. Instead, he heard an ‘oh’ so quiet it could have been his earphones crackling.

“Yeah?” he quirked a brow, “What is it?”

“No, nothing, it’s…swimming’s available and…”

“Well, that’s perfect, isn’t it?” he frowned, “I still swim, so—“

“Yeah, I know, you should definitely do it,” she agreed, but her tone struck concern in Rin, “It’s just…I’m imagining it, and it…kind of reminds me of Dad…”

Rin’s brows shot up, and his pace on the sidewalk stuttered. But he soon put on a neutral expression again, contemplating.

“…Yeah,” he smiled softly, “I get what you mean. But it’s nothing to worry about.”

“…Yeah…yeah, you’re right….”

“…you tearing up, sis?” he asked gently. He slowed to a halt so all was still around him, save for a cat scampering into the night at the end of the street. He paused to hear some giggling, and wondered with a flush if he had overdone the protector role again.

“No, no, I’m _fine_ ,” A faint laugh, a genuine one. “This is nothing to cry about. It’s more of a…it’s a happy image,” she decided, “It’s nothing to be sad about.”

“Yeah…” he nodded, scuffing the toe of his shoe on the spotless pavement. “So, swimming?”

“Yep, writing your name now~" she announced, and sure enough Rin could hear the swift scratching of her pen. He heard a light chuckle after a flick of a page. “It’s gonna be for the boys team, so you’ll like that.” she teased, but her speech balked at Rin’s peeved grunt.

“Knock it off, Gou…”

“Hm? No fluster…?” she noted, humming in thought, ”Something the matter?”

He clicked his tongue at her perception, noticing he had finally reached his block. On any other day, he would’ve returned the jibe easily. He couldn’t keep anything hidden from her, if he even wanted to in the first place.

“Well,” he sniffed, like he was going to start a winding tale, “One of my students asked me out for dinner after our last lesson and—”

“And it was a girl,” she concluded. “And now you’re wondering about the state of your romantic life and or interests.”

“That was as convenient as it was irritating.” he stated dully, keying in the building code.

“Only because I’m pretty sure this is the… _fourth_ time you’ve moped about your dwindling love life.” she said matter-of-factly, making Rin scowl. “You better not be scowling about this, too.”

“Dammit…” he trudged into the lobby and called the elevator with a tap.

“…Hey, you _know_ there’s no rush,” she comforted while he entered the lift, “If the right guy comes, you’ll know. And just because you’re not attracted to pretty women no matter how nice they are doesn’t mean you’re a jerk, either.”

“How do you know what to say?” Rin asked honestly, his body slinking against the back mirror.

“The other three times you moped were rehearsals; I’m seasoned at this.”

“Yes, because my feelings are the main show and I’m the side number.” he grumbled.

“Funny. Last I checked you were twenty-four, not fourteen,” she mused, but Rin couldn’t muster up a response, resigning himself to leaving the elevator in silence. He listened to Gou’s exhale clog through his earphones. “Well…why don’t you go out tonight, then?” she suggested sincerely, “Maybe to the bar?”

“I don’t want some random hook-up,” Rin murmured, lounging at the wall as the doors shut behind him. “If they even _have_ a gay bar here.”

“Actually, they do—”

“ _Wait_ ,” he squinted, “How would you know—“

“—But I’m talking about just getting a drink.” she carried on, “You’ve either been working your butt off at your place, or a student’s place. Plus, it’s a week until you start working at school and you won’t be able to rest as much. You deserve a break, plain and simple.”

He twisted his lip in consideration, before yielding in a small frown.

“…I’ll think about it.”

“You _better_ , you busybody,” she chided, “It’s called ‘Club Y.X.Y.’—and yes,” she interjected Rin opening his mouth, “I care about your emotional well-being enough to research where you can enjoy yourself. I’ve other teachers to deal with now, so go be not-sad and not overthink things.”

“Yes, Supervisor-san~" he singsonged, turning to head for his apartment.

“ _Head_ Supervisor to you, _Sensei_.” she giggled, and Rin had a genuine grin on his face before she hung up.

He puffed air out of his nose, plucking his earphones out and coiling them around his phone. The corridor glowed orange as Rin’s trodding steps echoed along with his whistles. He traced the speckled wall, feeling the ridges between his fingers as his eyes passed between each numbered door.

_631…632…633._

The air stilled around him as he stopped walking, only his keys tinkled as he tugged them out of his pocket. With a click and a turn of the knob, he let himself in and switched on the lights, the air in his apartment felt cleaner through his nose than the musty corridor’s. He stared at the doorknob a while after shutting the door, mulling over Gou’s request like it was homework he didn’t want to do.

_…Ah, fuck it._

Rin dragged off his hair tie with a sharp sigh, raking his hands through his hair before he headed for the bathroom to rummage for some Chocolate Lynx and a brush.

_A night out’s not gonna kill me._


	2. Club Y.X.Y.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matsuoka doesn't usually like gay bars.

Rin had pulled up directions to find that Club Y.X.Y. was just a stop down the line and a walk into town, which meant that now he was by the entrance. It’d be more inconspicuous if the towering bouncer on alert wasn’t hovering at the side, staring into some fixed point in the dark distance. The neon sign above the doorway cast a subdued light onto the sidewalk: two yellow Y-chromosomes with a block pink ‘X’ stamped between them flickered above Rin’s unimpressed face.

“Charming…” he sighed under his breath.

His shoulders slumped as he headed down the narrow stairs, converging into a pulsing darkness. His whole body, the slight tan of his skin teasing at his open collar, the burgundy of his ponytail tickling at his neck, began to drain of colour. Soon, he morphed into another shadow in the underground club, with only the faintest hint of light glimmered in his red eyes lidded with apathy.

Rin didn’t usually venture to clubs, but the smell of sweat lingering with alcohol and the thumping bass overtaking his senses didn’t invite his aversion. His vision was tinged with a dull violet as he shuffled his way through people humping against whoever and whatever, walking past the outlines of gyrating pole-dancers to claim a spot by the bar. He plopped himself down on one of the many free stools, only barely able to make out the glints of the bottles of alcohol racked behind the moving shadow of the bartender.

“Savoy Corpse Reviver, please,” he ordered, trying to be heard over the belching speakers above him. “Straight up.”

He slid his money out when he recognised a faint nod, settling into his stool as the bartender rustled about. He resting his cheek on his fist as he waited, blinking at the floating colours from the weak lights at the ceiling and trying not to inhale too much deodorant into his system as the club was throbbing with groaning dubstep.

_…What am I doing here…?_

As someone who’d rather delve into academia than some stranger’s throat, this wasn’t Rin’s scene. There wasn’t anything tremendously appealing to him besides that the alcohol could be decent at times. So all of Rin’s interests and logic dictated that he should’ve been enjoying himself somewhere else this late night, and he probably would have if he was a being of reason before emotion.

Because, for Matsuoka Rin, something always felt _missing_ in his life. He was a man that fed on passion, and from metaphor he had virtually starved for all of his life, save for English. When he tried for something else…when his father had died during the later years of his primary school, Rin tried to lose himself in swimming, to be the vessel for his father’s dream of going Olympic. However, he couldn’t find himself to do it since…

_Agh…_

Rin briskly wrenched his head, away from the reasons and memories he had already come to terms with and threw himself back into the tinted blackness. Tonight he wasn’t here to think too hard; he promised Gou that much.

Maybe he was here for some adventure, some excitement. He would rather lose himself in the sensation of…anything else other than in his thoughts. Not that he was depressed, no, just…bored. Lost in life. Unsure of what he wanted beyond his career. Nothing he couldn’t handle after a night of unwinding.

He frowned a moment, and not because of pondering over anything but at a… _prickling_ sensation cutting the back of his skull. Not the buzz of a drink—he hadn’t even _drank_ anything yet—but something nagging and focused. Like he couldn’t help but feel…

_Is someone watching me?_

He turned over his shoulder, surveying the brassy surroundings to quell his instincts. But it was just a moving darkness, so he dismissed the niggle in his head. Instead, he pursed his lip at watching outlines of people mash together and writhe in something wholly unpleasant.

He wasn’t against a drink and some music, but Rin never claimed to actually _like_ the nightclub setting, unless you could _maybe_ hit a lucky strike. He pivoted on his stool, resting his elbows against the counter so he could scan the deafening cesspool. He swore he was the only one there without an intention of—well, he didn’t really _have_ intention for particularly anything here.

He wanted to drink, but not to get drunk. He wanted to meet someone, but not to hook up. But at that moment, he couldn’t care less if he was pegged as a tightass; with the people thrashing around on the dance floor with slipping grips on sloshing glasses that made him grimace, it seemed that _everyone_ was going for some misguided attempt at—

_—Oh?_

Rin’s vision stopped, and rewound.

He peered past the crowd, and he realised that there was, in fact, _one_ occupied seat at the far end of the club, distant from the action. Among the plush sofas and the sea of faceless people, there sat a tranquil, lithe figure who…he _really_ couldn’t make out beyond a silhouette in the god-awful lighting, actually.

Though the person…didn’t seem to be doing anything. The panels of the wall behind the seat offered the slightest lustre to define the shadows, and Rin’s vision was oddly lucid that he could see past everyone. As if a gap was carved through the mob, for a view of the peaceful stranger. Doing nothing. Alone.

“ _Man_ ,” Rin whispered to himself, sceptic and maybe even impressed. “Is the guy even _alive_ —huh?“

Rin paused as the person brought a fist up slowly towards his own face, lifting his head and…sneezed. Like some tiny kitten, curling up and bristling a moment before rubbing his nose in a sniffle.

 _Well shit,_ Rin chuckled lightly, the corners of his mouth tugging into a grin. _Isn’t that cute?_

Rin may have leaned a _centimetre_ closer, and he _might_ have narrowed his eyes for better focus, but he was curious. There wasn’t even a drink on the table the stranger was resting at, or even a _glass_ for that matter. And his profile wasn’t rising and falling like he had recovering from a hard grind, no, the man was just…sitting there. Watching the roar around him. Rin surmised that it had to be a man, of course—he didn’t walk in here to expect women lolling about—yet…there was a calm grace— _aura?_ —that was… _radiating_ coolness, passivity—

Or maybe he was getting high off the stench of the club enough to psychoanalyse the body language of complete strangers. Who knows?

 _Still_ , Rin couldn’t help but feel a little fascinated at the man who also seemed to be gazing out at the commotion, rebelling against the intoxicating freedom of night that willed everyone else to party. To see the unstirring profile against the undulating crowd was…interesting. Usually it would be the common to ignore someone idling, but through the deafening cluster he became stark to Rin. That was his reasoning as he tilted his head into his palm, watching the man relax in the midst of chaos and drunkards.

He wavered a moment, because it had to count as _creepy_ to just _watch_ someone. He didn’t even know if he was good-looking or not, which at the most shallow level merited a few looks. Though it wasn’t like the person could _see_ him watching. And, somehow, he felt the man’s serenity to be infectious out of the blind cacophony, making him at ease as well.

In the moment that the man turned slightly, and Rin’s brows went up at his broad-shouldered form, he considered going over. To chat, socialise, not be a stalker. Clubbing 101 stuff. But he seemed so _peaceful_ that Rin was…hesitant of disturbing him. Which was a ridiculous mindset—this wasn’t some _library_ —but Rin could honestly say that felt content with this silent attraction. And considering how others were doing things _far_ racier than innocently observing, he didn’t feel particularly bad about it.

_No big deal. I can go for relaxing anyway—_

The man’s body stretched in a long yawn, and Rin’s eyes blew wide.

_— **Or** I could get a couple of drinks with him, that works too._

In his defence, no one said he had to be consistent.

Rin made up his mind just in time for his drink to arrive, nodding thanks to the bartender. He examined his glass, swirling it and just able to see its amber hue catching the sparse light. He lifted his shoulders with a small breath, then dropped them with an easy smile on his face.

_Right, time to go head…over…?_

He was gone.

Rin darted his head around in confusion, but there was no sign of him among the dancing throng. He pressed his lip in some disappointment, still halfway off his stool as he lazily nursed his drink.

…That…had sucked a little more than he’d care to admit.

He planted his elbow back on the counter, taking the first sip of his drink. He had gulped it a little too fast, pulling the glass from his lips with a small groan at the spice clinging to his throat. Not bad, but he couldn’t down it like a shot. He fiddled with his collar, flattening it out across his chest as he took another sip. His fingers caught on his necklace, and the tips grazed over the shark tooth fixed at the centre. Gou had remarked it made him seem like a surfer rather than some English teacher, so he took it to mean that it looked nice.

…There had to be something said when you were going over family teases in your head with a sea of gay men not even three metres away.

Though it was a shame that the stranger had disappeared; Rin had actually bothered with working up some initiative over meeting him.

“Probably won’t see him again…” he mused, taking another drink. He slid his eyes close to an enveloping black, soaking in the drumming music and the buzzing liquid all flowing into his senses.

Then he heard a sneeze.

Rin paused, putting the drink on the table as a stool beside him slid out. He side-eyed the person filling the seat, and was able to make him out somewhat in the dark. He around Rin’s height, and seemed to be built pretty well…

_…Wait, is this the guy?_

Rin turned his head, making a furtive onceover. Then the stranger yawned, unhurried and languid in a long stretch.

 _Yep,_ Rin jerked away, taking another drink as his brow shot up his face. _This is the guy._

He felt liquid courage sting his mouth as he set down his glass. Because this had to be some sign that Rin was going to make a move tonight. He steeled himself, going a gracing smile and some thoughtful, witty conversation starters he could potentially—

“Water, please.”

_—What?_

The guy’s voice was some baritone velvet, but his tone was flat as a pancake as the bartender stepped off. And Rin couldn’t help it when he pivoted around to face him, and through the number of questions swerving into his mind, this—

“Do gay bars even serve water?“

—was the one he had to start with.

He turned to meet Rin’s question, and before Rin could think of some other add-on, there was a standstill. They were only two feet away from each other, so for the first time Rin was able to make out his face in the dimness. He had a sweep of black hair that soaked up the light over his forehead, just flitting past his eyes that stared into Rin’s own. His complexion was clear and he looked young, but his eyes were lidded with some perpetual boredom and his lips were in a small, straight line, holding no smile nor frown. He looked completely unimpressed, as if anything, like ordering a glass of water for a starting drink, was simply done because it was convenient. And somehow, his cool expression willed something in Rin to make it _change_ , to want to see what such a gorgeous face would look like smiling or doubled over in laughter instead of its default setting.

Also, _those were some fucking **blue** eyes._

Rin started when he realised the stranger’s eyes were roaming over him, his gaze swallowing him from head to toe. He was already beginning to flush, but he couldn’t tell whether to feel good about how openly the guy was doing it, or feel offended that he held the same indifferent expression throughout.

“Y’know,” he started, his voice already going glib. “You usually chat someone up before you go about checking them out.” he informed. He chuckled at the first signs of emotion seeping onto the guy’s face, as if he was vaguely surprised that Rin had caught him staring so blatantly.

“Ah…sorry…” he apologised, looking back to the shelves of drinks behind the counter. Rin’s lips quirked in amusement, wondering if the guy was actually embarrassed as their little silence was punched by the background bass. “…I don’t know if they serve water here.” he finally answered, shrugging when Rin couldn’t stop the snort escape from his lips.

“Well I’ll be damned,” Rin scoffed, like it was a treat to see the bartender pass a glass of water to him as an answer to the question he never had till tonight. “They do.”

The guy hummed in response, but his attention was fixed on the water. Among other things, his immediate impressions seemed that he was definitely a bit unusual. But he was also definitely attractive, and Rin found a little smile playing at his own lips while he looked like he was honestly savouring the tasteless thing.

“You don’t look like you’ve been hitting the drinks so hard,” Rin noted, leaning his cheek against his hand as he brought his own drink up. The man’s cheeks weren’t pinked from alcohol, and his voice was tranquil with lucidity, and Rin briefly questioned if he had even touched another glass before now. “You the driver?” he asked, mostly wondering to himself. Rin’s voice muffled with the glass at his lips while he watched him pause, almost thoughtful.

“…Thirsty.”

Rin barely choked on his drink.

“Are you okay?” he asked Rin, the mild shock painting his face would have been funny to see if Rin wasn’t pressing the disbelief out of his own chest.

“ _Yeah_ , I’m fine, but **_wow_** ,” Rin coughed out, threading his fingers through his hair in an unbelieving smile. “I’ve _no_ idea if you’re doing that on purpose.” he said, his shoulders rumbling with laughter. The most handsome guy Rin had seen tonight in the most dingy bar he had been to, and Rin can’t tell if he was lost and wandered in here for some water. Rin’s breathing became even again, losing its rasp as the man stared at him, slightly curious again.

“…And if I am?”

Rin blinked.

There wasn’t a hint of flirtatiousness in his voice, only completely level with the lilt of a genuine question. This guy had the face and body of some jawdropping model, yet if Rin squinted hard he would see his eyes, blue and bright in the haze of the club. Like he really had an innocence that betrayed every expectation Rin had held.

There was a sort of…naïveté, if that was the word, to how forthright he was. He was completely candid, utterly refreshing, and his eyes seem to bore holes through flesh and bone.

…Rin liked him.

“It's fine,” Rin decided, shaking his head lightly as he nursed his drink, “It’s…a _little_ strange, but hey,” he shrugged, tipping some more of the burning drink in his mouth. “That just means you’re not just some ordinary guy.”

“…Ah.” he uttered, regarding his own clear glass with more attention than before. Rin couldn’t help a crease in his brow at how mute he had gone, like Rin had said something he wasn’t supposed to. And that wouldn’t do, because Rin wanted to get in this guy’s good books.

Just his books. Really.

“I wouldn’t have the privilege of learning your name, would I?” he suggested, letting a boyish sort of grin onto his features. Rin felt him scan over his face, as if assessing whether he was allowed to know his name, and for a moment Rin hoped that the guy wouldn’t be able to see his sharp teeth in the leaden air.

“…Nanase,” he murmured, drinking some of his water. “You?”

“Matsuoka,” Rin responded, and he remembered not to click his tongue that given names, especially here and now, were some elusive boon. He briefly thought about what Nanase’s first name was, how it would roll along his tongue, and then about how many Nanases there could be in Iwatobi alone before carrying on with the idle chatter. “You here by yourself tonight?” he asked, watching Nanase dip his head with his glass.

“My friends dragged me along, but they left earlier,” he explained, leaning a fraction more against the counter. “I just came here for some water,” Nanase said, and he mentally checked off his assumptions before Nanase turned, just so Rin was in the corner of his glance. “Are you alone too?”

“Yeah,” he sighed through his teeth, feeling a social wound forging itself at the wording. He shook it off with a puff, realising that there was little he could do about Nanase’s guiltless tone. “It’s a little while before the summer break’s over, so I figured I’d come here for some downtime,” he shrugged, his finger tracing along the cool edge of his glass. “Thought a little island like this wouldn’t have any gay clubs, honestly.” he said, sounding impressed as he brushed the cup at his lips again.

“It’s the only one in town.”

“So I heard,” Rin muttered before taking a gulp, and for an exciting moment he thought he felt Nanase’s stare at his throat. He felt the alcohol smarting at his tongue and burning his throat, only a little seeping into his head when he pivoted round. “…Say, Nanase,” his cheek was planted in his head when Nanase turned around with a mildly annoyed look, but Rin carried on with a silly smile all the same. “What makes you _really_ happy?”

“Do you get philosophical when you drink, Matsuoka?” he wondered dryly, and Rin put his palms up in defence at Nanase’s pout, feeling glad that they both dropped the honorifics.

“It’s a Sunday night; I can do what I want.” he said airily, dismissing the tilt in Nanase’s brow by daring to lean in a touch closer. “So? How about it?”

Nanase visibly huffed while looking to his drink again, and Rin speculated whether or not he would get up with his glass half-full and wander somewhere else. For a little while, Rin maybe thought that Nanase was a little older than him, what with his body and the stoic way he carried himself.

But then he _felt_ it. Something sudden that betrayed something very young, like the douse of heat from the flicker of a flame, when Nanase gazed at his cup almost fondly.

“…Swimming.”

Rin grinned even wider. Passion; what a wonderful little thing.

“Oh yeah?” he asked genially, propping himself up so his arms were crossed on the table, and the wordless zeal made him turn into his teacher self again. “I love it. S’my main sport, and feeling the water around me’s fantastic.” he spoke honestly, then the atmosphere seemed to burst when Rin glanced at his face.

Maybe that’s when his infatuation really started to bloom, because Rin swore he would _pay_ to see the flash of excitement drift across Nanase’s features in full light, just one more time. In all its parted-lipped, wide-eyed glory before settling into something respectably distant again. But Rin knew he hit the topic goldmine as he played with his drink, continuing while he felt Nanase’s fervour bubble under the surface, and he wanted to tap into it like nothing else.

“How many years?” Rin asked, resting his head against his own shoulder.

Nanase knitted his brow in thought, and Rin thought it was momentous that he seemed to be really thinking.

Then Nanase rolled his lip beneath his teeth, and Rin decided that he _really_ liked seeing him thinking.

“…Since…elementary school.” he determined, nodding slowly as if to reassure himself.

“Same here,” Rin said, tallying another point for the glimmer threatening to break out in Nanase’s eyes. “Stroke?” he asked, his tone light. He dipped his head back for a small drink, feeling Nanase’s pause press against his skull like the tang of his drink.

“…I swim free.”

Rin gave a little nod. Freestyle was an efficient, smooth stroke, where every muscle coordinated like clockwork to keep a steady pace, to cut a path through the water. He imagined Nanase somewhere brighter than their current state, like a pool dome where he could see him swimming in his mind’s eye (with taut muscles to boot), swimming free.

“I go for fly, then free,” Rin answered, going back to drain his glass. There was a minute thrum at his head, but mostly zest pricking his throat as he turned to Nanase, scanning his sharp yet lithe silhouette. “…You look like a fast swimmer.”

“I don’t swim for times.” Nanase responded, and the petulance in mutter made Rin’s brow shoot up in some amusement.

“So are you slow?” Rin countered with a beam, poking some fun while drawing Nanase’s pointed look.

“…No.” Nanase decided. Rin saw him frowning, but somehow it felt harmless as he shrugged, shuffling in his seat before taking it all the way home.

“Then you gotta race me sometime,” Rin said smoothly, as if that was exactly what Nanase should do. “Freestyle.”

He kept on his infectious smirk all the while, thanking heavens and above for the power of alcohol in the face of good-looking men while he watched Nanase’s eyes cast down.

“…Then I’d need your number.” he resolved, and Rin could’ve heard it as an offhanded observation if his blood wasn’t racing with their eyes digging through each other.

“You want it?” Rin tempted, feeling the corners of his grin bury at his cheeks in something mischievous, like he forged a pact to see this guy in action as he slipped out his phone.

“You’re getting your phone out, aren’t you?” he asked like Rin didn’t know. It took everything for him to rein in his bark to a slipped chuckle before Nanase pulled out his phone in kind. They were tapping away on their cells, turning on their infrared as Nanase’s number came in and Rin sent off his.

“I’ll give you a pool, but the time’s gotta come later.” Rin informed, all business as he scanned over his phone before locking it.

“Sure,” he said, and Rin was about to put his phone away before he heard a murmur. “And…”

Nanase went into a lull, and Rin looked up to discover his expression guarded and…a little precious.

“Your email?”

_Shit._

“… _Well_ ,” Rin felt a droplet of heat fall on his cheeks, diffusing in an unbridled grin as he brought his phone up again. “How could I say _no_ …” Rin cocked his head up in a twinkling leer, slanting over so their phones tapped and he could see Nanase’s eyes go wide. “…When you ask me like _that_?” Rin asked with a lilt, just able to make out Nanase’s throat fluttering in an palpable swallow. He thought of murmuring his name out of sheer cheek, but he wasn’t that brave. His eyelids drooped and his lips stretched in something suggestive as he felt a ghost of Nanase’s shaky breath.

“…I…” Nanase cleared his throat, and Rin smirked in a burning triumph as he sat back to give him some space again. “Have to go,” he managed, flicking up the lit screen of his phone as if for proof. “My friends are looking for me.” he began to push himself off the stool, and Rin noticed how much bigger his glass was than his, but they were both just as clear as they could be in the murky light.

“Well,” Rin leaned back on his hand again, “Don’t keep ‘em waitin’ then, Nanase…” he said, drawing out his name so it lingered a little longer like the guy it belonged to.

“…Matsuoka.” he muttered as way of goodbye, and Rin had forgot to flag the bartender for another drink as he watched Nanase merge into the shadows again, like when he had first saw him.

The throbbing in Rin’s ears had subsided, replaced by a screeching vocal from the bar’s soundtrack. When he blinked himself back into the club, he realised he’d been sitting there for minutes, staring at the staircase where Nanase must have headed.

…Nanase. A really good-looking guy who’s a little weird and loves to swim…

…And Rin had his number.

…

_…Oh wow._

_Oh holy fucking **wow**._

The table rattled when Rin’s elbows thudded onto it, but it just mixed into the cacophony of Rin’s racing pulse and everything outside. His breathing felt suffocated under the strain of how massive his heart seemed to grow, overwhelming his crushing chest till he was a confused mess in the midst of the shadows. He let out a strangled noise between sheer elation and nerves, clutching his own hair desperately as his eyes bugged out, his neck perching above the countertop.

 ** _What_  ** _was **that**?_

“ _Fuuuuck_ ,” Rin hissed under his breath, with the dumbest smile paining his cheeks. “Damn… _damn_ … _damnnn_ …!” he swayed his head with every ‘damn’, ruffling his hair wildly like he was pepping himself up and his smile grew so much it ached. Eventually his arms gave way and he slumped onto the table, his grin completely loopy and his eyes drunk with sweeping warmth, but not from the alcohol.

Not to be mistaken, Rin _did_ have one or two boyfriends in Australia. He wasn’t a complete novice in romance and sex, but he didn’t dabble in it often. Sure, he felt the butterflies and the clammy hands whenever the popular guy had entered the room at times, back in the day, but _this_ …

The mystery. The weirdness. The teasing. The flirting. The reactions.

Those _eyes_.

…This was _exhilarating_.

“…Nanase…” he murmured to himself, testing the name on his lips.

Oh _fuck_ , Rin was completely smitten.

(And he _loved_ it.)

Suddenly, he shoved himself up ramrod straight, the snap of his back dying out from the engulfing music. He tried to stop his consuming smile to end up knitting his lips together in a twisted press, and he felt a surge of shame that he felt the tips of his ears warm under his hair. After an age of glaring at the table in confusion, he stood himself up in complete embarrassment. He wrenched out his wallet to slap some bills on the counter before he headed out, feeling heat radiating from his body as he shoved through the crowd to the stairs.

 _What the hell’s wrong with me…?!_ he thought loudly, his face an ugly mix of a forced grimace and a dazed grin as he shoved a hand in his pocket. _Not a fuckin’ schoolgirl._ he insisted, passing by the gaping bouncer and turning to the left. _I just got Nanase’s number, that’s all._ he nodded with vigour, intensely agreeing with how much he shouldn’t care. Then his pace slowed, floating as he stilled.

…The metro was on the right.

“ _Goddammit_.” Rin snarled, making a sharp pivot around so he could storm off in the proper direction.

 _It’s no big deal,_ he continued inwardly, firing up his own passion as he spotted the entrance leading down to the train station glowing in the night. _I spent a night at a club, I met a guy, we chatted, and exchanged numbers. It’s all supposed to happen like that._ he explained to himself. He tried to fight off his smile with a pointed sneer, and his face went red with the effort as he pulled out his card. _Hell, usually people aren’t lucky enough to even get a number when they—shit, wrong one._ He grit his teeth while pocketing his credit card, hovering within the turnstile before finally fumbling for his Suica card. _There we go._ He passed through with a beep, thankful that there was only a trickle of people ambling within in the station. _What was I…oh yeah._ His mangled scowl returned. _I **should** be happy about this, but Christ, this isn’t some **shoujo** manga!_ he thought, resolutely firm with his rampant emotions. _The main characters don’t even get together this fast anyway._

His face scrunched at the heat stinging his skin, and when he closed his eyes it was the same darkness of the club, with Nanase’s silhouette fleeting behind his heavy eyelids.

The brightness of the station lights sore in Rin’s squint was a reminder of the late hour, but it didn’t stop him from trying to convince himself not to be mindlessly excited over Nanase’s face when he asked for Rin’s email. He glanced up at this reflection in the black glass doors, grimacing at his cheeks blending into his hair. He tried hard not to tousle his hair the way he wanted it to look when they were chatting, especially while recalling that last flirt he pulled before Nanase had to go.

_How the fuck did I even do that? Was I drunk?_

He peered at his reflection, experimenting with his cheek.

_I don’t **feel** drunk._

He studied himself, grateful that he had leasted dressed up nice, as usual. His hands burrowed into his pockets, before he felt a rush of his knuckles brushing past his wallet and phone. He crisply pulled up his phone, clicking to his contacts to see Nanase’s number, nameless and waiting.

_…Isn’t there a rule not to call someone so soon?_

_There probably is._

His cheeks squeezed in a blush. He shoved the phone back into his pocket, deciding to think about something else. Like how he acted tonight.

_Maybe I’m really smooth…_

_…Or maybe I’m just the biggest creep in existence._

_Ugh._

The train finally rolled in.

When the doors whispered open, Rin immediately pressed against the divider by the seats, the plastic cool against his burning forehead. His fingers were clinging at his ponytail, torn between laughable excitement and caution as his mind reeled with the smell of his drink and how Nanase’s eyes could’ve shimmered in the dark.

 _— **Jesus** ,_ Rin bristled into standing straight. _I only talked to him for…not even **twenty minutes**. _ He let out a wounded groan, resting his head against the divider again.  _I’m a grown man, able to control my emotions and maturely appreciate if someone attractive gave me their number._ he nodded tersely. _That’s all._

…

 _… **God** , his voice was smooth though,_ he lolled his head in a sigh, rocking his head to the stutter of the train rushing along the tracks. _I could listen to an audiobook of that._

He found himself staring at his reflection, watching it segue into the distant speckles of windows’ light passing by. With a blink, he felt the weight of his phone in his pocket for a different reason.

“I _gotta_ tell Gou about this.”

Rin snatched up his phone, clicking his speed dial and tucked it at his ear. The slim train flowed into a tunnel, and the compartment light seemed to buzz overhead along with Rin’s contained nerves, drumming his fingers to a nameless beat as he looked for the click he needed.

“Wow, your night must’ve been _great_ to call me at…” There it was. “Oh, it’s 3 A.M. already?”

“Yo~” Rin replied, hoping his excitement wasn’t leaking into his voice. “I didn’t think of whether you’d be sleeping or not.”

“Sleeping’s for the weak,” she hummed, already making Rin crack a smile. “So?” Gou asked, and Rin heard the diligent scritching of a pen behind her chatty tone. “How _was_ it~?” she chimed, her tone goading Rin to spill _everything_.

“S’alright. Got a drink, chatted with a guy,” A gasp. “Nothin’ big.” Rin shrugged, not bothering to stifle his grin now.

“Oh, Rin, you _player_ , you!” she gushed, and Rin doubled up like her words tickled his giddy person. “Alright, alright, so what d’you chat about?” she said, going interrogative as Rin sucked some air through his teeth.

“I—“

“—Safe for work or R–18?”

“Man, you do not miss a _beat_ , do you?” Rin shook his head, incredulous with laughter.

“…Has to be R–18 if you’re _this_ chirpy.” Gou concluded thoughtfully, leaving Rin with some time to replay his conversation in the bar.

“We…hm…” Rin quirked a brow, threading his bangs through his fingers. “…Water and swimming,” he puffed his cheeks out, hearing Gou stop writing for a moment. “I…yeah.” he cocked his head, studying the red glint of his sneakers.

“…Huh,” Gou went back to scribbling again, and Rin could hear the impressed pout. “Good thing you practically lived in water for some of your life.”

“Yeah, I know right?” he grinned, just in time for the train lulling at his stop. “And I even got his number, too.” he added, like it was (and it _was_ ) the cherry on top of his whole night.

“Matsuoka Rin, picking up the guys with bodies of water, one at a time~” she drawled, and Rin theatrically rolled his eyes while he meandered out of the compartment. “Tell me, what’s he’s like?”

Rin strolled onto the platform with his chest feeling as wide as his grin.

“ _Crazy_ hot.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _what's this??_ :OO _draMAtic iRoNy?!1 >_ :OO/??1!
> 
> I'm just imagining this as some ridic shoujo manga and that Rin's the protagonist, not gonna lie XD
> 
> For some reason, I'm portraying a much more modern feel to the city than how Iwatobi actually is :P Probably because I'm drawing my imaginings from places around my own town :B
> 
> But this is all in good fun, and the only serious aspect of this story is that I'll be sticking with it ( ^u^)>


	3. Matsuoka's Procrastination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few days in the life of Matsuoka Rin.
> 
> In _other_ words, a summary of Matsuoka's consistent dithering plus first day anticipation.

5:03 A.M.

 

Rin’s bedside clock flared red in the peep of day, though he had blinked most of the fatigue weighing his eyes hours ago. Instead of lolling on his bed he sat comfortably at his desk, having thrown on some sweatpants and a loose tee. His ankles crossed on the desktop while he stretched back into his chair, the reading light flowing onto his book and catching at his glasses rimmed with black. His cheek started to mould against his fist as held the pages open with his thumb, lazily scanning the pages with his hair loose at his neck. With the distant melody of the birds chirruping, he studied the last page below his lenses perched on his nose, and the cover shut with a tip to the right.

“... _Goddammit_ , Naoko.”

He tossed the manga onto the desk, narrowing his eyes at brown-haired, bright-eyed Naoko gasping while her blonde love interest wrapped an arm around her and smirked out of the cover.

“You’ve had _five volumes_ to kiss Kaede,” he tugged off his glasses, mashing the heel of his palm against his scrunched eye. “Got trapped in a ski lodge _alone_ with him for...I don’t even know, _three chapters_ , for Christ’s sake...”

Rin squeezed the prickling sensation out of his eyes, stretching further into the computer chair with a blustering yawn. His arms went lax to cocoon his head, and his glasses rested at his stomach while he blinked at the edge of the ceiling dyed navy by the sky’s light.

_Today’s the day._

It was the third time the thought had skittered past Rin’s dazed mind, but he couldn’t help the slight grin plucking his lips all the same.

As of five hours and four minutes ago, it was a Sunday. Sunday was the day before Monday, when school started for every student in the region. But on this Sunday, for Iwatobi Academy, it was the staff’s first day. Rin had visited the school for his job interview, so he knew that the commute was nearly an hour by metro. But that day he wasn’t able to go past the principal’s office to really explore the institution; he didn’t even know what his classroom looked like.

“Oh, wait...” Rin’s mumble barely went past his lips as he rolled his head to the side, looking past the window at the atmosphere gradating to crisp light. _It’ll be the students’ classrooms. I’ll hafta move from class to class._ He felt a breath lodge at the top of his throat, and he released it in a lengthy yawn. _S’not Australia..._

His vision went bleary at his eyes pinching shut, and he sniffed at looking back to his notes in a neat pile, outlining the syllabus for each class he had. He had spent the last week typing them up and scouring the textbook side-by-side, occasionally throwing in some external sources from websites and his own textbooks for supplementary material. Soon he came up with a comprehensive list that abetted topics, vocabulary and grammar that covered both year groups more than sufficiently.

...Honestly, not that he needed all of it.

There wasn’t any bragging in the realisation, since he finally addressed the elephant that had taken residence for a week with a wry face. Though he _did_ need lesson plans, he was a walking reference for vocabulary and grammar, and he didn’t have regurgitate everything he knew onto a pile of A4. Not to mention that there was something distinctly unnecessary about having to detail _every_ difference between direct and indirect speech in English with comprehensive comparisons to the Japanese grammar system for high school students.

Rin fisted his bangs with a sigh, slumping even more so his body sunk into the earth while he nibbled on the tooth of his necklace. Then his eyes flitted over to his bedside, and he spotted his phone with a reluctant sulk.

He hadn’t called him.

The unclear pronoun could be taken either way; Rin to Nanase or Nanase to Rin. But Rin hadn’t called him for...sensible reasons.

Mainly, the timing was messed up.

 

On the first night, after giddily chatting with Gou an hour after the club, he had conked out straight after hanging up. He was already laying in bed, all he had to do was close his eyes and he was out for a solid seven hours.

So on his first day he woke up at 11 A.M., which put him in a disappointed mood since he never liked to started his days too late, especially not when it was so close to school time. He made it custom to slot in proper reading and exercise, which was usually either a swim or a jog. And if he found his apartment too suffocating he could visit the university library to do his reading, whether for his work or leisure. He did have his lazy days, of course, but as it was the week before school he had to start fresh.

 

On the second day, everything was back on schedule. His phone felt remarkably weighty in his pocket while he picked out some milk from the grocery shelves, and he was already struggling to recall Nanase’s dream-like form with the hazy bar muddling his memories.

 _It’s only been a day or two; I’d seem too eager if I called so soon,_ he reasoned, snatching up a pack of beef jerky. He thanked the woman at the checkout, and by the time he was strolling for his apartment he remembered he had syllabi to plan for. _I’m busy anyway_ , he thought, popping a green tea candy in his mouth. _I’ll call Nanase tomorrow_.

 

When tomorrow rolled around, he was walking to the train station from the university, with a few novels and an updated volume of manga (in which Rin thought Naoko would get _some_ where, but _apparently_ not) resting in his messenger bag. His stare was intense at his screen, lit with Nanase’s number and email taunting his firm pout.

 _Alright..._ Rin let loose his shoulders with a sigh, shaking himself alert as his thumb hovered over the OK button. _It’s been a couple of days, time to give him a call and—_

“— _Fifty percent off?_ ” he craned his neck, pivoting on his heel to the store just before the train station came in sight.

In his defence, the deals on his new clothes were _insane_.

While grinning at three extra bags draped along his arms, strolling out the storefront with even more bracelets heaped at his wrists, Rin couldn’t help but think he had forgotten something.

 

The next day, he remembered.

“You’ve gotta be _kidding_ me...”

He hissed through his teeth, his English drawing impressed glances from others training at the gym as his feet pounded against the treadmill. He blew the air out of his nose as his legs pumped forward, upping the speed while techno skittered across his earphones. He nearly sprinted off most of his frustration in the last half an hour, which finished off his exercise for the day as he limped towards the water cooler with harsh breaths.

"Tomorrow...” he vowed, letting the air conditioning cool his blazing skin as he gulped some refreshing water. _I’ll read over some past papers and mark schemes tonight, so I’ll call him tomorrow_. He nodded with strengthened resolve, crunching the paper cup into the bin as he headed for the changing rooms. 

He idly pondered about how the etymology of tomorrow, supposing it had originated from old English as he saw in instances in Shakespearean literature, to-morrow. After appreciating how this meant ‘in the direction of morning’, it also made him realise that it had been _ages_ since he had appreciated one of Shakespeare’s unabridged plays.

By the time he had finished _Twelfth Night_ , it was an hour to tomorrow.

“— _Really?!_ ”

It had stung a little less when he hit his head against the bed frame.

 

So the next day, the fifth day, he spent reading up past papers and glancing over mark schemes. He chewed on the tip of the shark tooth at his necklace, drawing up suitable lesson plans with regard to various course books for each year group. In a few hours he had every topic covered and ready for teaching. He knocked his head back in a puff, sprawled on his chair as he spun his pen between his fingers. He leaned back to scratch the stomach of his tank top, his computer chair wheeling back as he stretched. Then he felt a weight disappear from his thigh and heard a clatter on the floor.

“Ah, crap...” Rin clicked his tongue, twisting around to pick up his phone. “...Oh, _crap_.” he palmed his cheek at seeing his phone. He snatched it up, navigating his way through and, yes, Nanase’s number was _still_ there. He winced when he checked the time, and even double-checked by looking out the window to see the sky pink with sunset.

_He’d definitely pick up if I called now..._

He regarded his phone again, sliding it open and locked so Nanase’s number flashed at him in time. He paused, glancing back at his highlighted notes.

 _...Could always add some more about idioms_.

He shrugged, jotting down some sayings off the top of his head.

 _..._ _The’s cat’s out of the bag_ _..._ _when pigs fly_ _...oh,_ _ixnay_ _’s a little tricky..._

He tapped his pen against his lip, his phone loose in his hand.

“Should I look up some more...?” he mumbled, before he tilted his head at the paper. “Look up...look at...look to...look _for_... ” he listed, nodding his head in a little rhythm as he described the nuances between prepositions for a verb in further detail. “If I’m gonna do that,” he reckoned, gradually setting down his phone. “I might as well get cracking on this... _ah!_ ” he swung up his hands, like he recognised an old friend too slow. “To get,” he scoffed, elbowing the desk to scrawl his notes. “Tricky lil’ bastard made me lose marks before...then again,” he sat up, fiddling with his pen in thought. “S’not in the exam...eh, screw it,” he waved his concern aside, going back to write. “Food for thought. Well, there’s another one...”

He wrote until he had to sleep.

 

And so, the sixth day became a cycle for Rin. After reading a few books, going for a jog and eating an instant bento, he stayed at his desk for the following:

 

Pick up his phone.

 

_Okay, here goes._

 

Heatedly stare at Nanase’s number. 

 

_...Alright...here goes..._

 

Get distracted _while_ staring at Nanase’s number.

 

 _I wonder if he even remembers me._  
 _Some redhead hitting him up at the club._  
 _...  
_ _Is this his real number?  
_ _...  
_ _It_ looks _real..._

 

Then look past his phone to see his notes.

 

_I wrote enough about punctuation, I’m pretty sure..._

 

Then—

 

 _Though I_ could _add some stuff about the Oxford comma._

 

—write some more notes.

 

Repeat until bedtime.

 

After bedtime, Rin had closed his eyes for a few hours before he found his vision sharp and trained on the ceiling, with only boxers and a jittery feeling in his chest at the prospect of his first day.

“Can’t sleep...” he groaned, shivering when he flung his blankets off. He let out a wounded noise before he dragged himself to sit up, sniffing when he saw it was only 4 A.M. “...Could read those books I got.” he considered, lazily scratching his hip.

 

And that was how Matsuoka spent his week, how it led up to Naoko’s disappointing lack of progression, and how he was currently eyeing his phone with a cringing guilt. 

He wrinkled his nose, watching the screen of his phone glint, recalling fragments of Nanase’s cool voice and how he ordered his water without a care in the world. Then Rin’s heart jumped at the memory of Nanase becoming so endearing over his email. His computer chair squeaked as he remembered leaning into Nanase, sensing the thickness of his swallow throughout the din as he sent off his number.

Then his brow contorted into utter disbelief.

“Why the hell haven’t I called him?” he spat, and a genuine irritation bristled in him. He shot out of his seat and set his glasses on the table, marching over to his bed and ripped the phone out of his charger. “I’m ready for my job, and I owe Nanase a race,” he announced, sneering as his thumb pummelled his phone. “Gonna call him and fuckin’ ask him out, that’s what.” He was going to do this, and by any power above if anyone stopped him now after all his distractions he would—

“—Shit.” Rin deadpanned, staring at his clock.

 

5:07 A.M.

 

His let his phone slip onto the bed, then promptly collapsed his face next to it, trying not to groan too loud into the blankets.

“Well, there fuckin’ goes _that_ idea...” he whinged, his knees at the floor as he turned to plop his cheek on the mattress. He was mildly surprised at himself; he didn’t usually swear so much. “Then again I don’t usually feel so _goddamn_ **pissed** _, just..._ “ 

He muffled his curses into the mattress, bringing his fist down on it once. Then he punched it twice. Then again. And again, until he was raining little blows on his bed. His hesitation came pouring out in an uncurbed tantrum. He rolled, kicked and yanked at the blankets, stewing in his pettiness as he lashed out at his patient bed.

By the time he flopped back-first onto the thoroughly ruined sheets, his soft pants sounded in the dark as he looked up again.

 

5:09 A.M.

 

“I’m too old for this shit...” he grumbled, rolling his head back so he could glower at his cupboard a few metres away. His breathing gradually became light again, and soon he was looking remarkably tired for his age. He felt a twinge of sleep calm his smarting eyes, each of his blinks getting longer and slower. He rolled over onto his side, considering lulling back to a pointless slumber. Then he saw his sports bag in the inkling of dawn; black, red, and poking out of his closet.

 

...

5:11 A.M.

...

5:12 A.M.

...

 

“...’M going for a swim.”

 

...

5:14

...

 

He summoned his limbs up like a zombified mummy, swaying a little after standing. Blinking. Then ambling for the bathroom.

“Might as well get dressed for school,” he reasoned, pulling out some toothpaste. “Could swim for an hour or two, then go straight— _already_?” he grimaced, peering at the mangled bristles of his toothbrush. “Jesus, today better be goddamn _peachy_.” he growled, scrounging at the shelf by the mirror for a new one.

After freshening up with all his swimwear and soap tossed into his duffel and his notes filed in his messenger bag, he was standing firm in front of his full-length mirror, scanning his bedraggled hair and mussed pyjamas. His shoulders rose in a drawn breath, and it gusted through his lips. The sanguine grin that Rin liked to sport came back in full force, giving a light beat to his chest with a beaming determination.

“ _Yosh_ ~”

He drew open his closet in a wide sweep, and shirts and trousers rushed along the hanger like a boutique. Each coat hanger had a complementing top and bottom to make a fashionable outfit with his exercise gear at the other end, and at the shelf below were all of Rin’s accessories: beanies, necklaces and bracelets galore. Rin focused on the clothes swaying along the rack, having already checked off six outfits that were out of season.

“No...nope... _no_... _man_ , glad I went shopping the other day,” he snorted, flicking past his tees, tank tops and board shorts that were instantly rejected. “Right, lessee...maybe this?” 

 

—Deep pink button down with dark brown trousers—

“Mm... _may_ be not.” he eventually shook his head, hooking the outfit back.

 

—Clean, sports grey button-up with maroon slacks—

“ _Mmm_...” his brow scrunched in consideration, before clicking his tongue to scrounge in his closet again. “Something thicker...”

 

—Ripped grey tank top with harem trousers—

“I said _thicker_...” he grumbled, throwing it back in before he could afford to go pink at thinking of going to school dressed like that.

 

♪~ _Blue leopard-print suit_ ~♫

“ _Ha._ ”

He tossed it back in.

 

“Hnn...which one did I see the other day~?” he hummed, earnestly thumbing his chin while meticulously examining his other outfits. “... _Oh_!” he snapped his fingers, eyes brightening at a fresh outfit near the back of the closet. “ _That’d_ be good...”

After a good ten minutes, Rin was back at the mirror all dressed up with a broad grin.

“ _Perfect_ ~”

He turned around to admire his back, checking if there was anything out of place. He had on a white dress shirt with black bordering the cuffs and the collar rolled up to his elbows. His silk red tie puffed out of the dip of his maroon sweater vest, that hugged at his waist so well it had to be a cover-page sin. He twisted around to eye the back of his slim black slacks that were respectably flattering for his fit form. He loved rocking some well-fitting clothes, looking great and snappy all at the same time. 

“ _Alright_ , only took 10 minutes for me to choose~” he pumped his fist in a quiet cheer.

Then he stripped it all off and changed into a tracksuit. 

(He wasn’t going to get his work clothes wet from the pool.)

He hummed in a tuneless satisfaction, pulling a hairband to his teeth while he bent down some of the clothes he had gotten onto the floor. 

 _How many stops was it...?_ he wondered, tilting his chin down while tying his hair. _Pretty sure it’s the same as the school_. he mused, bringing up his phone after finishing his ponytail. He trailed over to his sports and messenger bag waiting on the rumpled bed, having already packed his swim gear and notes while clicking over the station map. ... _Yup. S’gonna take about an hour then_.

He hauled up his bags so one was resting on each shoulder, lowering his shoulder with a huff before he checked the view out the window. The chirps pressing the lilac air lulled like the strip of gold dawn slinking over the edge of the sea, and Rin felt a calm wash over his mind as he grabbed his keys.

* * *

Rin had comfortably slunk on the empty row of seats lining the train, leafing through his lesson plans and timetable for the school. He hummed to the clean guitar soothing through his earbuds, letting the sunlight seep onto his paper as the little flicks travelled through the compartment peacefully bare from the masses.

His hold on his notes loosened while his head hung back, turning up to see the sky cultivate its colour for another day. He fell into one of those unusually vivid moments where life grew crystalline, and he captured everything with his languid blinks as if realising for the first time that he was alive. He was wading through his commute, gazing across the landscape blending into a flurry that he could slow into something distinguishable if he focused, before it dashed away into the black of a tunnel. Rin’s chest rose and fell in soothing breaths, and he pressed the back of his head against the cool window, feeling it vibrate beneath his hair as he studied the overhead map branching along his route. 

Rin would snort, if he weren’t so tranquil in that moment, at how he could swing so easily from unquenchable vehemence in the smallest of things to being decently mellow, allowing himself to tune in the mellifluous flow of life at precious, arbitrary times.

You know, like the main character in a slice-of-life anime.

He broke out of his consideration in a chuckle, deciding not to think so hard about all the little things. Which, strangely enough, he did quite a lot.

Rin put it down to first-day jitters, and though the fact that he was going to work in his dream job had been engraved in his mind the day he tore open his acceptance letter, the excitement started to genuinely bubble into something substantial that teased his stomach. It was like he had finished grade school again, fantasising about the transition into secondary school in wonder, where all the big kids hung out together and he would have to remind himself not to use the word ‘play’ anymore.

It _was_ childish, probably juvenile to be so excitable over a job that he would have to work his days away in. But it put the bounce in Rin’s step when the train paused at his stop, the rock at his head when the hook came dancing through his ears, and the grin in his hum all the way to the sports centre.

Rin’s mood from the past week was slowly but surely ebbing away, his resolve to make his first day with the staff start off with a fresh swim. He made his way through the facilities to reach the changing rooms, glad on discovering there was only one person’s gear was unobtrusive near the end of the bench. He dumped his bags on the other end and immediately unplugged his earphones, beginning to deftly strip and raring to swim out his impatience for school to start sooner. 

He pulled on his legskin that lined red along his leg, pinching the translucent patch loose at his thigh. He was more thorough with tucking his hair in his swim cap than usual, not wanting to have to wash out so much before school. He stored his phone and wallet in the lockers (though Rin thought his outfit was priceless, he was pretty sure it’d be safe) and passed through the shower at the entryway without a second of hesitation (clearly, the mark of a bold day).

The pool was open-air and starting to glitter at the hint of the morning sun, and Rin beelined for a starting block with unwavering stride with a puffed chest. He slipped on his goggles and did the usual: firmly pressing the mirrored lenses then hooking a finger through the strap, stretching it back until it released with a snap at his swim cap. He hopped a little on the spot, stretching himself out and briskly rolling his neck, feeling his bones pop with a slaking sigh.

 _Alright,_ he stepped up on the block, toeing across the edge as his body coiled like a spring, pulling the block back. _Ease in with some free first,_ he decided, glancing up to eye the far end of the pool. _Then do some fly between every—_

Rin’s vision flickered at the sound of a splash.

“Eh...?”

The building tension in his muscles eased at the distraction, and he drew out of his zone to glance at the side.

A man at the side had just made a tumble-turn, dolphin kicking up to the surface to continue his lap and—

...

_Oh..._

**_Wow_ ** _..._

Rin’s expression opened in a gradual shock, standing a little straighter as he became enthralled, magnetised to the flawless stroke. The swimmer was lithe, yet his shoulders were broad as he rolled his arms back, and Rin swore that there wasn’t an ounce of fat to be found on the swimmer’s body in his fluid, languid stroke. There was no speed, no rush, to it. He wore knee-length jammers, his legs were sculpted and smooth in their kick, coordinating like clockwork with his arms cutting through the water as if it were air. Effortless, weightless. Not a single disturbance in the water as Rin watched the hypnotic swimmer flow with the water, glowing in light of dawn.

“Holy...”

Rin’s praise was breathless, and he couldn’t even try to word it, lest he ruined the entrancing sight with his dumb state.

Then, when he spotted the man’s ducking in head in for another turn, and saw the top of his head also covered with a black swim cap, a burst of intrigue welled in Rin.

_That can’t be..._

[I swim free]

_...Nanase?_

_If it is..._

The possibility made him physically react, getting down to sit on his block as his eyes blew out. If that was Nanase swimming the most bewitching free he had seen in his life, then Rin would have to bring out the marriage papers. At least, after his apology letter for not calling or texting.

Now _that’d_ be a start to his first day.

 _No_ way _..._

It had to have been a stranger. It could easily be another swimmer, maybe a professional or a casual citizen with stunning technique and Rin was so guilt-ridden over his procrastination that he developed delusions thinking about Nanase for every freestyler he would see.

_Obviously..._

_..._

_—But shit, it_ could.

Rin chewed at his lip, indecision tugging at him as the swimmer glided toward the halfway line.

Now, he _could_ call out to find out that it’s Nanase, and slip in somewhere that he’s the hottest, most beautiful freestyle swimmer that could goddamn well go Olympic. Then he could spend his morning racing him and probably end up with an _extremely_ promising date after his first day while wondering if he’d be as smooth in bed as his swimming.

— _Eventually_. After a couple more dates. Possibly. Hopefully.

_Aha..._

_Or_ , he could call out to a complete stranger, plunge his morning into complete awkwardness and replay why exactly he called out to fit yet distinctly non-Nanase person and probably ruin their graceful swim and go on said stranger’s to-disbelievingly-squint-at-and-hate list.

Rin sucked a breath through his teeth.

_...Ehhhh..._

His head swayed from side to side as he weighed out his options, and the swimmer rolled up a third away from the pool end.

...

 _Ah, screw it_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, to mollify myself over this chapter, I _did_ say it would be slow build :'D This isn't some epic shoot-'em-up AU anyway x)
> 
> Don't worry, things will happen, I promise xux
> 
> lil edit: frickin thing always takes out the underlines, gfdi


End file.
